SAULT STE. MARIE — Chippewa County International Airport, CIU, in Kinross is adding new service to Chicago starting in the spring.
United Express daily service to and from O’Hare Airport will begin May 15 and end Sept. 28. Flights will be on a 50-seat CRJ-200 jet.
Boutique Air offered part-time service from the general aviation terminal to and from O’Hare this past summer. With that success, the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation held discussions with United Airlines to provide daily service from the main terminal.
Airport Manager Tami Beseau anticipates over 50,000 travelers passing through CIU by the end of 2024 and expects these new flights to increase that number in 2025..
“Chicago was always a little bit of a troublesome city to get folks here. They would have to fly to Minneapolis then here or to Detroit then here. Having a direct flight to Chicago to bring people to see this beautiful area in the summer is something we are excited about,” said Beseau.
Delta is currently the only airline from Detroit and Minneapolis to CIU.